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T.HE Class of Seventy-Four. 



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OF THE CLASS OF 




SYLYANUS ALBEllT REED. 



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NEW YORK : 
PRINTED BY GEORGE H WHITNEY. 

1874. 



i:, W 



vi 



PREFACE. 



In compliance with a desire expressed by the class, I have 
here presented the History substantially as it was read at 
class-day. 

By confining myself, without opinion or criticism, to incon- 
trovertible facts carefully noted down during the class's four 
years' course, I trust I have avoided the fault of having any- 
thing extenuated or done aught in malice. 

What is related will undoubtedly appear trivial to those 
unconcerned, and probably will fail to interest those concerned, 
so long as the events are still fresh in memory, nor yet ob- 
scured by the active business of life. 

But in future years a glance at these pages may serve to 
refresh the mind with a train of pleasant recollections of the 
good old college days. With this view a detailed description 
has not been aimed at, but rather some allusion to each 
feature which may go to make up an outline that the memory 
can fill in with light and shade. 

Perhaps, in approbation of this intention, my classmates may 
be disposed to look with indulgence upon those demerits which 
thej^ will be sure to detect. 

New York, October, 1874. . 



VOLUME I. 
FEESHMAJSr YEAE. 

Ham. — Then saw you not his face ? 

Hot. — O, yes, ray lord ; he wore his beaver up. 

It were an error to suppose that the class of '74 began 
its collegiate course with the proverbial verdancy of Fresh- 
men. Ill a rural college the class might have been gathered 
from the surrounding soil. The potato field, the pumpkin 
patch, and the cow-yard might each have furnished its quota 
of recruits all clad in the family homespun, 

** With face devoid of whiskers 
And coat devoid of skirts." 

But the infant teeth of '74 had been cut, and iis infant ideas 
formed amid the whirl and bustle of the nation's metropolis, 
so that having passed amid such influences in due time from 
bibs to knickerbockers, and from knickerbockers to Latin 
grammars, the class felt itself at last fully worthy to con- 
tend in the academic arena. But in spite of this confidence 

. 5 



g VOLUME I. 

and calmness, the event was felt to be an important crisis ; 
moreover, ambition to attain the envied distinction of colle- 
gian ; pride dreading the scorn of companions should failure 
ensue, and the terrible uncertainty of the issue, — all conspired 
to nerve every faculty to its highest exertion. Happy then 
the man who could boast the. mentorship of some experi- 
enced undergraduate to initiate him into the choicest 
artifices for evading the rigor of the ordeal, and hapless he, 
who, with neither a pony-leaf nor an introduction to Prex, 
with no guide but the college catalogue, ventured on that 
" mare ignotumJ^ Such, at least, was the voice of the sages 
in such matters, but the vanity of their pretensions soon 
became evident. On the morning of the 20th of June, 1870, 
the doors of the president's room are thrown wide open 
over the college portico, the air is fresh, the sky is clear, 
and nature- seems at rest. About half-past nine a. m., 
unfamiliar faces begin to appear at the college gate, and 
strange voices are heard chattering in a high key on the 
college steps. The crowd thickens, and, as the bell tolls 
ten, the last lingerer disappears through the yawning door- 
way and the door is shut ! 

The assembled candidates within formed an interesting 
study, emphatically so to the gaze of the upper-classmen, who 
hung in knots around the doorways and delivered their audi- 
ble criticisms. Boisterous Sophomores discussed the chances 
of the new class in a rush, or plotted a mock examination ; 
Juniors smiled complacently, and Seniors looked with kindly 



FRESHMAN YEAR. 7 

eye, as the scene recalled memories of the past. Some of 
the motley gathering of candidates looked pale and appre- 
hensive, some looked stout and cheek3^ Some there were 
who shrank diffidently from the gaze of others, and some 
were already busy in making the acquaintance of their future 
classmates. While fathers and guardians endeavored to en- 
gage in conversation the professors who happened to be 
present, the candidates formed themselves in line and each in 
turn entered his name npon the register, receiving at the same 
time a slip of paper directing him to his destined examiner. 
Hour after hour the unfortunates were quizzed and puzzled 
till the last word was scratched down, and the last idea 
wrung in agony from their brains. To some the examination 
proved an insurmountable wall which digging could not 
undermine nor pony practice cl^ar. A late resolution of the 
board adding six books of Legendre to the usual requirements 
for admission first took effect upon this occasion, and so well 
did the experiment succeed that the faculty evidently marked 
the class for future elevations of the standard, for a similar 
infliction has been endured thrice during the college course. 

The two days' trial having been finally accomplished for good 
or for bad, — away ! to rural joys where no Xenophon can lead 
his ten thousand, and over seas which no ''pons asinorum^- 
can bridge. What if Greek grammar must be met again in 
October, surely, " with no present expectation of their being 
realized,'' why could they not "assume all conditions as con- 
trary to reality ? " 



3 VOLUME I. 

The first Monday in October, true to the calendar, beholds 
the lately vacant grounds and gloomy lobbies re-thronged with 
busy crowds. '71 is there with its men great and grave ; '72 
is there, its jolly Juniors hob-nobbing and slapping each other 
on the back ; and '73 is on hand enjoying the noveltj^ of 
Sophomoric dignity. 

The bell tolls ; and, from green and cloak-room the crowd 
pours into chapel where finally "74 is stowed safely into its 
assigned place, close under the eye of Weeks. 

The first impression of chapel upon a new class must be 
most excellent. Every man in college is in his place, the 
rostrum is dark with gowned dons, the chaplain is robed 
in snowy white, the good president stands forth with the 
grandeur of Olympian Jove, and, finally, when the hymn is 
lifted up with one grand burst of sound, the Freshman's 
heart leaps to his throat. Check not those swelling emo- 
tions, thou innocent, for tliis display of devotion shall be 
sought to-morrow in vain, nor shall it again appear to th}' 
delighted gaze till another first Monda}^ in October brings 
thee here to stare at the class of 1875. Thou shalt have 
learned by that time that the organ is cracked, the seats 
are hard, and the roll officer is a man of straw, and thou 
shalt have discovered, perhaps, that it is easier to cram 
those propositions in Legendre in the free air of the'cloak- 
room than in the sanctified atmosphere of chapel. 

On emerging from chapel the college steps were found to 
be in the possession of '73, in full force. To dash up and 



FRESHMAN YEAR. 9 

plunge tlirougli the midst of the garrison was the work of an 
instant, and the scene of devastation was fully begun, when, 
towering above the excited throng, appeared the president's 
white beard. Immediately, " vehit quum magno in populo 
coorta est seditio, turn pietate gravem ac merito si forte virum 
quern corispexere, sileiit,''^ the tumult ceased, and the class 
retired to its allotted room and awaited its turn to matricu- 
late. That ceremony was finally accomplished, and they were 
fully installed as undergraduates of Columbia College and 
members of the class of '74. 

Having brought themselves safely into college, the next 
care was to remain there. In the flush of good resolutions, 
therefore, each set about to secure for himself the head of 
the class, and, during the first week of attendance, the reci- 
tations were marvelous. But, at the end of a week, the 
sentiment of dread, necessary to the order of some disposi- 

The roll of the class at matriculation was : — iVldrich, AUerton, Appleton, 
Ayme, Bartow, Bicknell, Buckley, Butterworth, Cheesman, Cornell, 
Drisler, Foster, Harrower, Heasley, Henry, Heyward, Hinrichs, Hum- 
phreys, Johnson, Journeay, Kobbe, Lacey, Mackenzie, Meyer, Morgan, 
Rapallo, Reed, Sands, Scudder, Shaw, Tenney, Thompson, Todd, and 
Waite. 

During the first term of the year the class pursued studies in Rhetoric, 
Essays and Declamation, Roman Antiquities and Grecian History, 
Geometry, Latin and Greek Syntax, besides reading portions of Horace's 
Odes and the Odyssey. In the second term Algebra took the place of 
Geometry, and the classical reading was Cicero de Senectute and por- 
tions of Herodotus. (German was optional throughout the course. ) 
2 



10 VOLUME 1. 

tioiis, had greatl}^ disappeared, and a closer acquaintance 
bad been established with the various professors and tu- 
tors. 

Mr. Quackenbos was daily entertained with a serenade 
whose refrain was "Quack! quack!'' Mr. Merriam was 
known as Gussy, though such was the terror of this stern 
man that the epithet of farailiaritj^ was muttered between the 
teeth, like the hiss of a serpent ; and the thought of those 
dreaded weekly examinations in Latin and Glreek S3"ntax 
even now causes a shudder. Grood Professor Schmidt came 
twice a week, and, though antiquities were voted a consum- 
mate bore, and the flunks that were made " were quite fright- 
ful to see," yet against " Old Schmidty " none could ever nurse 
a grudge. Many a story is extant of occasions when a real or 
fancied injustice called forth a frank apology from the kind 
professor, sometimes even after the circumstance had passed 
from the student's mind. One day, a mouse was brought up 
in a small trap and liberated during the recitation, whereupon 
the class scrambled in terror upon the benches and desks. 
The professor alone retained his presence of mind. " Gen- 
tlemen," said he, looking sternly around, "if you are afraid, 
I will call Fran9ois." The class, however, trembling with fear, 
refused to trust itself down until the wild animal had found 
a chink in the floor and disappeared. 

Professor Yan Amringe was soon set down as a "brick," 
and, though the hours at the blackboard were not hours of 
ease, except, perhaps, to the few who afiected "voluntaries," 



FRESHMAN YEAR. H 

it was a noteworthy circumstance that, in the class's merry- 
makings, the cheer for Yan Am was a little the loudest, and 
Van Am's toast a little the deepest. The occasional glimpses 
so far afforded of Prex did not justify a claim to acquaintance, 
and the upper regions of the board were as yet unexplored. 
But, of one member of that board, volumes might already 
have been written. As soon as it was discovered that the 
gentleman who led the hymn in chapel, and 'blew the whistle 
in the hall, was not the President, D. D., LL. D., S. T. D., but 
Stephen R. Weeks, alias St. Stephen, immediately a lofty 
familiarity of manner was affected. Mr. Weeks, however, 
having been connected with the college for some twenty or 
twenty-five years, was not particularly impressed. Nor 
must this opportunity be lost, of tendering to that gentleman 
the class's sincere obligations for his frequent forbearance 
with their irregularities, together with their thanks for his 
many enforced solos in chapel, which, he may be assured, 
were thoroughl}^ appreciated. 

In the pursuit of wisdom, the physical was not forgotten. 
Foot-ball was at that time just rising into general notice 
among the various colleges. Base-ball was rather on the 
wane, owing probably, at Columbia, to the building-up of 
the old practice-grounds. Every morning and afternoon 
found the narrow campus swarmed with a rough and noisy 
crowd of players, and the bank lined with applauding spec- 
tators. The Columbia game exhibited its characteristic fea- 
ture when the ball became jammed between the iron railing 



12 VOLUME I. 

and the bank, and the opposing parties, precipitating them- 
selves into the chasm, one upon another, fought tooth and 
nail for the prize. After a month of such schooling, the 
class ventured to engage in the traditional contest with the 
Sophomores, but without success. The college twenty was 
defeated soon after in a match with a twenty from Rutgers 
College, New Brunswick. The event is mentioned because 
'74 was there first called upon to wear the white and blue, 
and to join in the cheer, " C-o-l-u-m-b-i-a ! " 

A class's wars, like those of a nation, form no inconsider- 
able element of its history. It was soon evident that the bal- 
ance of power could not be preserved with '73, which was 
growing offensive and arrogant. The first morning's experi- 
ence had convinced the class that ''vis consili expers mole 
ruit suaJ^ B}^ general consent, therefore, on October 20th, after 
the third hour, the Freshman class assembled in Professor 
Drisler's room, and proceeded to organize itself into a cor- 
porate body. A political caucus or a crowd at the stock 
exchange may have worthier matters to consider, but a 
greater row than a Freshman class's first meeting can scarcely 
be imagined. Yet, amid showers of chalk, hoots of " put him 
out ! " and vain calls to order from the chair, a constitution 
was adopted, and the class passed into its corporate existence. 
The step was completed by the election of Mr. Kobbe," the 
chairman j^'^o tern., to the office of president pro anno. The 
other officers were immediately chosen, with the exception 
of historian, whose election was deferred for maturer delibera- 



FRESHMAN TEAR. 13 

tion. The class was at that time innocent of a thought 
of wire-pulling or intrigue, and the candidates for those 
mighty offices were conscientiously selected for their quali- 
fications. Tenney and Hinrichs were appointed to support 
the dignitj^, respectively, of first and second vice-president, 
because each was a man of influence and executive ability. 
Sands was chosen as treasurer because he was known to be 
a man of eminent financial talent. Buckley received the 
office of secretary because it required quickness of perception 
and skill in the art of caligraplw. The newlj'-fledged officers 
responded lengthily to the call for speeches, the president 
elect favoring the class with a flowery sketch of his infancy, 
boyhood, and early life, so fitly crowned by the present 
auspicious moment. 

December 5th, the Marathon of '74, found a class-meeting 
assembled in Mr. Merriam's room. Never, before or since, 
were the proceedings more brilliant. Some five different 
members were simultaneously holding the class transfixed 
with their eloquence, when the door slowly opened and 
admitted five Sophomores. A moment ensued of mute amaze- 
ment at the coolness of the intruders, who proceeded to make 
themselves comfortable. This was followed by a motion to 
adjourn, which was about to be put, when a few high-spirited 

Class-meeting day was at first Friday, but, as the class's deliberations 
were wont to disturb those of the Board, the day was changed to 
Thursday. 



14 VOLUME I. 

Freshmen, exasperated beyond endurance, rushed to the door, 
fastened it, and raised the war-cry of '74. It was the work 
of an instant ; the next moment the combat closed. Sophs 
poured in through the forced door, and, through the crash of 
benches and the whirl of missiles, clouds of dust and savage 
yells arose. Soon, naught could be distinguished but a sway- 
ing, struggling mass. Now Sophs were down, now Freshies ; 
but, as human strength and human tailoring cannot long 
endure such a strain, a truce was finally effected. The 
Sophs left the room, and the class, much exhausted, but 
triumphant, concluded its meeting. 

Class opinion soon began to assert itself emphatically with 
regard to the Freshman's right to array himself with high 
hat and cane ; and this determination was realized one morn- 
ing, when Cheesman appeared in the full glory of a beaver, 
and the Freshman's eye flashed as he gazed. This elation 
was brief, however, for the Sophomores closed In — the 
Freshmen too — and the hat was seen no more ; nor is any 
well-authenticated story of its fate on record, though many 
traditions regarding it are extant. The next beaver appeared 
on the" head of Tenney, the rush which it provoked being 
the longest and fiercest of the class's history. Even Mr. 
Weeks was roughly handled, while endeavoring to maintain 
the peace. On both sides, for a week after, attendance at 
college was much diminished ; and, at length, men appeared 
one by one, feebly endeavoring to cover a scar or conceal 
a limp. 



FRESHMAN YEAR. 15 

Before the first term ended, the class had adopted the 
legend '' Uapiaraa'^ai a€t aXXrjXoii" as the class motto, and 
was pledged to stand by it, and by each other. There was 
now no danger of anj^ member mistaking his men, or endeav- 
oring to throw a classmate in a rush, or making the blun- 
der made on an earlier occasion by a diminutive member 
of the class, who, upon being presented to a prominent senior, 
a man over six feet, familiarly remarked that he was happy 
to make the acquaintance of a classmate who would evidentl^^ 
be such a useful man in a rush. 

In Januarj^ the class office which still remained vacant, 
was filled by a novel plan, since grown into a college cus- 
tom. 

On February 16th, after completing its intermediate exam- 
ination, the class took part in its first semi-annual, where, 
arrayed in academic robes, it presented a highly scholarly 
appearance. In a few days college duties were resumed. 
The roll was increased by the acquisition of a new mem- 
ber, Mr. Aymar, who had entered the class at the late exam- 
ination. In classical lore, the wanderings of Ulysses gave 
place to those of Arion, and the class exchanged the prosy 
sermons of the "man of Arpinum" for the sparkling chords 
of Horace's lyre. During the second term, also, no less 
than one-half of the class habitually sported canes and silk 
hats. In the spring, the class organized a ball-club which 
never played a match, and a boat-club which fell to the 
ground soon after, but was nevertheless the seed which, 



16 VOLUME I. 

under more benign influences, expanded into the boating 
institution of which we now boast. 

The evening of June 16th beheld a well-piled board spread 
in an apartment of the Hoffman House and surrounded by a 
jolly crowd celebrating the class-supper of '74's Freshman 
year. Amid scintillations of wit and flow of soul, the oys- 
ters, salmon, and various viands were demolished, and gene- 
rous Bacchus began his sway. The regular toasts of the 
evening were creditably responded to, amid hearty acclama- 
tions, and impromptu sentiments filled up the intervals. 
Dramatic recitations and a grand walk-around terminated 
the festivities. "The wine supplied what our wits denied," 
and, after serenading the fair ones of Gotham, " we all went 
home by the light of the moon." 



YOLUME II. 
SOPHOMORE YEAR. 

Ham. — Whose grave's this, sirrah ? 

1 Clo. — Mine, sir. — 

Ham. — What man dost thou dig it for ? 

1 Clo.—'Eor no man, sir. 

Ham. — What woman, then ? 

1 Clo. — For none neither. 

The summer of 1871 wrought marvelous changes in the 
tone of the class. Instead of with the bristlj^ chin and unset- 
tled manners of an awkward stripling, each member reappeared 
with the sleekness and elegance of the Sophomore and man 
of the world. Several told of awkward positions in which 
they had been placed, when, after airing their college dignity, 
the fact leaked out that they were only Freshmen, and it was 
rumored that several engagements had been frustrated thus. 
Much havoc had befallen the class's roll. Aymar and Tenney, 
by dint of hard reading during vacation, had been enabled 
to skip the Sophomore year, and pass into the Class of '73, 
a similar feat having been performed but once previously in 
3 17 



IQ VOLUME II. 

the college history. The loss of two such creditable mem- 
bers was much regretted. Bartow forsook the attractions of 
a college life for the drudgery of the counting-house, leaving 
grateful recollections in the hearts of his classmates, who 
spared no pains to deter him from his resolution. No less 
regret was caused by the departure of Bicknell, Appleton, 
and Journeay for business life. Morgan left the class to 
enter Harvard, and Heyward left to travel in Europe. On 
the other hand five new acquisitions had been made ; Storrs, 
who had been prevented by illness from attending during 
the previous year ; Loder, formerly of '73, which illness 
had compelled him to leave ; Kennedy, from Queen's 
University, Belfast ; McKinney, from Alleghany College, 
Pa. ; and Brown, from the College of the City of New 
York. 

We missed the faces of '71 's heroes, to whom we had paid 
a willing tribute of Freshmanic reverence, and whose acquaint- 
ance we were afterward wont to boast proudly. But we 
found that we had a mission to perform in reducing the arro- 
gance of certain strangers who paraded the halls under the 
aspiring title of '75. These beardless youths, in the first 
place, made a rash attempt to pass '74 on the steps after 
chapel ; it is needless to pursue the subject farther. When- 
ever it is broached, even at this late day, the member of "'75 is 
seen to turn pale, and the member of '74 to grow pensive, his 
eye to kindle with recollections of the past, and his hand to 
fondle unconsciously his biceps. 



SOPHOMORE YEAR. 19 

The class's progress in the paths of learning was marked 
by a transfer from the tutelage of Mr. Merriam to that of 
Profs. Drisler and Short. No conscientious student could 
fail to feel, in parting from the classical tutor, much grati- 
tude for the advantages gained from his skillful and scholarly 
instruction, his impartial discipline, and his good-humor. 

Prof. Schmidt undertook the department of English com- 
position, previously the task of Mr. Quackenbos. His system 
of correcting the essays met with general approval, for it 
was an immense relief to receive, during the dragging 
monotonj^ of a G-reek tragedy, the following note, brought by 

Francois : 

" Prof. Drisler, please allow Mr. to come to my 

room immediately to attend to the correction of his essay. 

" Henry I. Schmidt, Professor," 

and the professor was generally not averse to a lengthy 
chat. 

In November, Mr. Hinrichs was elected class president for 



The class, during the first term, applied itself to Modern History and 
the Philosophy of History ; Essays and Declamations; Grecian Antiquities 
and Roman History ; and Trigonometry ; besides reading the Satires and 
Epistles of Horace, and the Medea of Euripides. In the second term lec- 
tures on Surveying were added, and the classical reading was Tacitus' 
Germania and Agricola, and Xenophon's Memorabilia, 



20 VOLUME II. 

1872. Two unlucky foot-ball matches — '74 as a class never 
excelled in foot-ball — were also plaj^ed with '75. Our mission 
to humble that class now occupied our entire attention, and 
war opened in all its ferocit3^ Time after time the stairs 
groaned with the combat, and the banisters came down re- 
peatedly, the pieces being carried off as trophies to ornament 
the rooms of the combatants. 

One morning, in the cloak-room, during the few minutes 
before ten when the bulk of the day's work is prepared, a 
beaver was espied on a head which a glance showed to be 
that of a Freshman. The quickness with which this con- 
clusion was reached was only paralleled by the bewildering 
rapidity of the whack which terminated that beaver's exist- 
ence forever. The scene immediately thickened, and the 
dense cloud of dust which arose to the ceiling concealed what 
went on ; but, as " dsl aXXTJXoig," etc., was heard, it is to be 
presumed that '74 was concerned. On a subsequent occa- 
sion '75 was fairly entrapped into an ambush, upon emerging 
into the hall from Yan Amringe's room, and the rush which 
there ensued formed an honorable climax to '74's fighting 
career, which thereupon closed forever. 

The severe illness of Prof. Drisler during the greater 
part of the winter occasioned the class much anxiety, and 
brought it once more under Mr. Merriam's charge. In 
January much gratification was caused by the reappearance of 
the esteemed professor in his accustomed place. After 
several complimentary remarks the professor informed the 



SOPHOMORE YEAR. 21 

class, with tears in his eyes, that, owing to his long absence, 
there would be no examination in Euripides at the end of 
the term. A wail of anguish went through the room, and 
the rest of the day was spent in fasting. A misunderstanding 
arose about this time with the Seniors concerning the distri- 
bution of boxes for semi-annual. After much windy elo- 
quence had been exhausted on the subject, the matter was 
adjusted by a concession with a protest on the part of '74. 
'73 held out, and professedly did not attend the semi-annual. 
Previous to the difficulty a jovial reunion at Fritz's had been 
planned by the two lower classes for the entertainment of 
their respective patrons, '72 and '73 — a revival of an old 
custom. In spite of the late trouble the affair was a 
success, for rivers of lager, even such as Fritz's, can quench 
much malice. 

The localitj^ here mentioned did not attract the class's 
attention now for the first time, nor for the last. The most 
diffident had learned already to swig Fritz's lager and 
pronounce maledictions upon it ; many could survive one of 
his choice brand of cigars, and a select few, including Henry, 
Aldrich, Johnson, Shaw, and Thompson, could pilot a ball 
safely across the hills and valleys of his billiard table, and 



In December the class resolved to wear caps and gowns at examina- 
tions, and carried out the idea with some degree of consistency. But 
the custom was gradually dropped, though each new class, we find, makes 
a similar attempt to revive it. 



22 VOLUME II. 

carom on the red. We knew the traditions of the place, 
the story of A. n. B., and the sad history of the original 
Fritz. And it was there, as many will remember, that a 
majority of the class once held a special meeting — the minority 
being at the same moment in attendance in Prof. Drisler's 
room — and considered the report of a burial committee, and 
then partook of the hospitalities of the house, and, with 
their drams, made merry over the scruples of the rest of the 
class. Many a jolly song has been sung there under the magic 
spell of " Lager for the crowd ! " and long may Fritz's rubicund 
cheeks and colossal waistband form the background of that 
happy resort of thirsty spirits. 

The passions of the human heart are mj^sterious. Why, 
for instance, thirty-two intelligent, Christian young men 
should wantonly undertake a scheme of deliberate murder, 
is a problem defying solution. Yet, in the month of March, 
1872, the class calmly sat down to murder the immortal 
Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Club held not more than 
three meetings, but in that time the wretched King Lear 
had been nearly tortured out of existence. The Club held 
no more meetings, and the Bard of Avon still lives. The 
class then determined to have a burial, and "the Ancient" 
having been finally discarded, a modern improvement was 

The Shakespeare Club, comprehending the whole class, was divided into 
two sections, Butterworth being chairman of the first, and Kobbd chair- 
man of the second. 



SOPHOMORE YEAR. 2B 

substituted, and it was determined to bury animosities with 
the Freshman Class. The 8th of June was appointed, and, 
amid much ridicule from the skeptical, the committee went to 
work. 

On the appointed night, under the lurid light of the torch, 
we met the Freshmen in the middle of the campus, and seated 
in a grim circle around the camp-fire in the character of 
Indians, we buried the hatchet of discord. A pipe of peace 
went round, a pipe-bearer and a pouch-bearer supplying the 
necessary articles. Mr. Buckley, as Grand Sachem, ha- 

PROGRAMME. 

( Red Injuns on ground at 7:45 p. m. 
( White men on ground at 8 p. m. 

2. The Braves meet the White Men and arrange them in line to right 
of college, the Injuns to left. 

3. Singing. Injuns, led by Gr. Sachem, Pipe-bearer, and Pouch-bearer, 
march in single file around campus to right, at the same time White Men, 
headed by Wm. Penn, march in double file to left. 

4. Whites arrange themselves in semicircle to right of campus. 

5. Injuns, still chanting, deposit their torches in center of campus, and 
arrange themselves oppposite, completing the circle with the Whites. 

6. Address of welcome by Gr. Sachem. 

7. Reply by Wm. Penn. 

8. Injuns sing "Jolly Sophomore." 

9. Whites sing. 

10. Address by orator (Shaw). 

11. Burial of tomahawk. 

12. Pouch-bearer (Drisler) and Pipe-bearer (Kobbe) distribute pipes to 
the whole mob. 



24 VOLUME II. 

rangued both parties in a flowery speech. The leader of 
the opposite party responded, orators and braves performed 
their offices, strange songs were sung, compliments were 
exchanged, and a song of peace sealed the bond. A large 

13. Smoke. 

14. Speech from White Orator. 

15. Songs, cheers, and conclusion. 

The committee in charge was composed of Cheesman (Chairman), Foster, 
Hinrichs, Sands, and Todd. 

SONG. 

Welcome, White Men, hearty welcome, 

Welcome to our camping-ground ; 
Tussle, fear, and fight are over. 

Past the conflict's fearful sound. 

Welcome, White Men, Injuns bid you, 

Peace shall rule us — peace alone ; 
Beaver, hall-way, canes, shall no more 

Be to us contention's bone. 

Spirit Great hath bid us bury, 

With the White Men, name of " Foe " ; 
Tomahawk to earth consigning. 

To discord we'll say " No go ! " 

Now we'll pledge you round our camp-fire 

That we'll never Sophs be more, 
And in token of our friendship 

We transmit you Sophomore's store. 



SOPHOMORE YE 25 

concourse witnessed the scene, and, after serenading Prex, 
the party filed down Fifth Avenue to the discord of a vagrant 
German band. Need it be added that the destination was 
Delmonico's ? 

The scheme of prize schoUirships and fellowships — the 
scholarships being $100 each, the fellowships each $500, 
under certain conditions annuall}" for three years after 
acquisition — was instituted early in this year, and excited 
much interest and sharp competition. Butterworth distin- 
guished himself by carrying oif half of the scholarships offered 

We do grant you right to harass 

Seventy-six with all your might ; 
Knock 'era, rush 'em, pound 'em, trip 'em, 

Then for pardon ask polite. 

Bear with grace your new-gained honor ; 

Supercilious, haughty look 
May forever mark you Soph'more — 

Never Fresh y's insults brook ! 

Chorus. — " Saw my leg off," etc. 

The toasts proposed at the supper in the evening were responded to 
as follows, viz. : 

Sister Colleges Mr. Mackenzie. 

Alma Mater Mr. Reed. 

President Mr, Cornell. 

Professors Mr. Todd. 

Class Mr. Hinrichs. 

The Ladies Mr. Kobbe. 

4 



26 VOLUME II, 

to the Sophomore class. Kennedy obtained the prize in the 
special department of German. Thirteen of the class were 
members of the Philolexian Society, and all of the society's 
prizes for oratory were awarded this year to competitors 
from that number. A bill had been discussed lately in the 
State Legislature authorizing the removal of the college site ; 
no little interest was awakened thereby, and the hopes 
of the sanguine were high. But a veil of stucco still covers 
Columbia's classic shades, though there are those still who 
fondly believe that the Columbia Freshman shall one day 
study architecture from the architraves of his Alma Mater's 
dwelling, and that the bounding foot-ball shall roam over a 
thousand feet of campus. 

Sophomore year had contributed much to the class's 
general culture. Throwing surveyors' chains in Peck's room 
had developed its muscle, listening to anecdotes of the aris- 
tocracy in another department had sharpened the intellect, 
and meditating upon the " daifxona^^ with the Greek profes- 
sor had improved its moral tone. Thus equipped, the class 
dispersed for the summer. 



VOLUME III. 
JUNIOR YEAR. 

King. — Here's to thy health — give him the cup. 

Hamlet. 

" In Junior Year we take our ease — we smoke our pipes and 
sing our glees." What a calm and delightful picture do 
these words call to our senses. The summer of college life, 
after the struggles and tumults of Sophomore year, and before 
the grave cares of Senior j-ear — the full strength of manhood 
at hand, and boyhood past — among the pleasures of heart, 
intellect, and sense, we basked in the serene sunshine of 
Junior year. Upon the class's return in October, 1873, the 
first anxiety was to reckon over our numbers. The roll was 
reduced to twenty-eight, four having left, viz. : Todd, for 

The course of study pursued embraced, at first: Logic, Analytical 
Geometrj-, Lectures on Heat and Inorganic Chemistry, reading in the 
Satires of Juvenal and the Antigone of Sophocles. In the second term 
the lectures were on English Classics, Mechanics, Electricity, and Chem- 
istry, with Cicero de Officiis and the Apology and Crito of Plato as 
classical reading. Exercises in Latin verse and original declamations were 
performed throughout the year. It was announced that the " Honor " 
system would be extended into the Junior year, but the fate of the 



28 VOLUME III. 

Amherst College ; Brown, Heasly. and Waite, for commercial 
pursuits. Early in October we were startled by the announce- 
ment of the death of Dr. Lieber, prominent in the law 
department of our universit}^, and widel}^ known as an 
authority in political science. The cheery voice of '72 was 
missed, but its echoes could not fail to linger in the hearts 
of those who knew it. That which absorbs the soul of the student 
community for the first few weeks of each year, " Well may 
I know but dare not tell." I see the rollicking Soph, the 
natty Junior, the solemn Senior pay sedulous court to the 
verdant Freshman. I see them escort him to college and 
from college, laugh at his jokes, applaud his idiosjmcrasies, 
and contend for the honor of treating; him at Delmonico's. I 
mark the blaze of gold on their breasts, and I see in time 
the blaze of gold on his breast, and I see that only then, after 
these paramount interests are settled, does the college wake 
up to life. But when the time came, the awakening was that 
of a lion rousing himself for his pre}^, and it was evident that 
the year was to be one of unparalleled activity. Constant 
practice on the new Tremont grounds afforded opportunity for 
the selection of a good foot-ball twenty, and Columbia was soon 
on the war-path. Matches followed each other in rapid succes- 

enactment to that efi'ect is unknown. Suffice it that the scheme was not 
carried out. 

Reports from chapel showed that new hymn books had been substituted 
for the old illustrated ones. Also that " Amen " was being sung at the 
end of the hymn, a dangerous step towards ritualism. 



JUNIOR YEAR. 29 

sion. Stevens' Institute was defeated, and Rutgers' was 
twice encountered unsuccessfully. The twenty also went to 
New Haven, and, though defeated, were most hospitably 
entertained by Yale. October 15th, 1873, must always be 
remembered as the birthday of boating at Columbia. The 
enterprise was undertaken deliberately. It was obvious 
that the time had come when, if ever, Columbia must make 
a bold push or be left in the lurch by her sister colleges. 
The idea of the pampered and enervated Columbia student 
renouncing the distractions of the city and devoting himself 
faithfully to the strict training of an oarsman had been ridiculed 
so often as an impracticability that hitherto it had received no 
serious consideration. But now the taunt was to be cast back 
upon its authors. The committee having the matter in charge 
went to work quietly but zealously and secured the influence 
of President Barnard, always a friend to athletic sports, to for- 
ward their object. The seal of success was set upon the 
enterprise by the action of the trustees, Dec. 2d, appropri- 



A blight was nearly cast upon the boating project by the swamping, 
in the North River, of a six-oared gig, on a cold morning in March, 
the ice being still in the upper part of the river. The six oai-snien, 
with their coxswain, all members of the college, and two from "74, were 
for fifteen minutes in the water, and were benumbed with cold before 
being rescued. The boat had been bought at Hoboken and was being 
rowed to the Harlem River. 

The classes of '73 and '75 were very active in pushing the aquatic 
interest. 



30 \^OLUME III. 

ating, " for the encouragement ot the exercise of rowing 
among the students of the undergraduate course," one thou- 
sand dollars per annum. The Rowing Association was organ- 
ized to take this sum in charge, Prof. Yan Amringe holding 
the chair, and commissioned with the power of veto, and Mr. 
Cornell representing the class in the association's councils. 
The Boat Club was also separately organized for the distinct 
purpose of sending a crew annually to the inter-collegiate 
regatta. 

At the election for president of Junior year Mr. Henry was 
the successful candidate. '74 had alreadj^ some reputation as 
a singing class, and never could it be said that " vox faudhus 
haesit,^^ when an opportunity occurred of chirping forth, and it 
was seldom necessary to inform the distracted professor 
whose recitation might be disturbed by serenaders without, 
that it was 74 "off" its hour. But our repertoire was 
small, consisting chiefly of "Son of a Glambolier," "Susan- 
nah," and "Saw my leg off short." In December four mem- 
bers of the class organized a glee club, extended it to other 
classes, and placed themselves under the instruction of a musi- 
cian. Soon, instead of the rollicking chorus, might be heard 
the tender serenade and sweet madrigal, and to such a height 
did the club soar that, during the spring, it appeared, with other 
eminent amateurs, before a large audience at Steinway Hall. 

The quartet was composed of Foster, Reed, Cornell, and Cheesman ; 
respectively first and second tenors, first and second basses. 



JUNIOR YEAR. 31 

After the intermediate examination the class reassembled 
on the 13th of February, and proceeded with the regular 
duties. There was one, however, who was missed from 
his usual place, and soon it became known that his ab- 
sence was owing to an illness which warranted the deepest 
anxiety. On the morning of February 28th the class assem- 
bled to find its worst fears realized, for their classmate, Lacey, 
had died during the previous night at his home in Brooklyn. 
Hardly yet realizing the sad truth, the class assembled to 
manifest some feeble expression of mourning for the irrepara- 
ble loss. On the 2d of March the college exercises were sus- 
pended, and we followed our departed classmate's remains to 
their last resting-place. To have known him best was to 
mourn him most. In the classroom, in the field, and in the 
social circle his face was sadly missed. He had intended the 
ministry for his profession in life, and probably few were better 
prepared for the life to come, — the memory of Louis Fred- 
erick Lacey shall never fade from the hearts of his classmates. 



The following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted by 
the class of '74, at a special meeting, held Friday, February 28th : 

Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God, in His all-wise providence, to 
remove from this life our beloved friend and classmate, Louis Frederick 
Lacey ; therefore, be it 

Resolved^ That, in his death, we, the members of the class of '74, have 
lost an honored and respected friend, whose manly and unobtrusive life 
won the aftectionate regard of all who were privileged to know him. 



32 VOLUME III. 

Professor Rood lectured upon electricit}'", during the second 
term, and illustrated his course with tine experiments. 
While upon the subject of telegraphy the professor sent a 
message to an instrument across the room, and then passed 
the paper ribbon around for the class's inspection. The paper 
had not gone far before it was evident from the convulsed 

JR.esoloed, That, in this affliction, we recognize the hand of a Divine 
Providence, to whose will we humbly bow, while at the same time we 
extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family in their bereavement. 

Hesolved, Th-it a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the family 
of the deceased ; that they be published in the college paper, and be em- 
bodied in the records of the class. 

C. R. Buckley, 

A. J. LODER, 

Feank Urisler, 

Committee. 
The above were handsomely engrossed and presented to the deceased's 
family, and similar resolutions were passed by the Lambda Chapter of 
Psi Upsilon, of which Lacey was a member. 

The class is indebted for the following to Mr. Storrs, whose intimacy 
enabled him best to perform such a service : 

IN MEMORIAM. 

To THE Honored Memory of a Classmate these lines are dedi- 
cated, AS A Brief but Loving Tribute. 

Frederick Lacey entered with us at the beginning of our college 
course, and for two years and a half was a regular attendant. It was not 
long before we recognized his worth, and felt with pride that he was our 



JUNIOR YEAR. 33 

features and explosive sounds around that something amusing 
was transpiring. What would have been the professor's feel- 
ings if the paper had been handed back to him after going the 
round, and he had read, instead of a telegraphic cipher, the fol- 
lowing; words : 

" Dear Maria : — Meet me at ten this evening at the old 
place. 0. N. Rood." 



classmate. Though quiet and unassuming in manner, he soon won the 
hearts of all by his Icind and sympathetic ways. Sti'ong and athletic, he 
entered with his whole soul hito our sports. Faithfuily to perform every 
duty assigned him, seemed to be one of his life's works. Wherever he 
went, in the classroom, on the football-field, or in his own study, he carried 
with him a perfect Christian character ; and never for a moment did he 
forget his duty to his Maker and to himself He was one of the few of 
our number who intended to enter the ministry, and well fitted was he to 
be a teacher of men, and a pastor of their souls. 

It was in February of our Junior year that he left us on a leave of ab- 
sence, to remain for a while free from the toils and anxieties of study, that 
during the weeks away his health might be improved, if not restored. 
The springtime came, but he came not. On the last day of winter the sad 
news spread among us that Fred Lacey was dead. Suddenly it came, and 
a gloom settled upon each one, as we knew that there " was one vacant 
chair" in '74. It was the first time Death had visited our number, and it 
certainly seemed strange that he should have taken him^ who was so well 
prepared to fill a high station in life, whose genial disposition endeared 
him to all, for to know him was to love him. 

The night of the 27th of February was a dark and dieary night ; the 
very elements seemed to be at war, the snow fell heavily, and the moaning 
of the wind sounded like some sad requiem. But when the morning 
5 



34. VOLUME III. 

In March the college was again placed in mourning hj the 
death of Dr. Torrey, a distinguished naturalist and a professor 
of botan}^ at Columbia College, to which he had made valuable 
benefactions. His loss was deepl}^ regretted. 

dawned, it seemed as if Nature had put on hei' purest robes, for every bush 
and tree had a coronet of the white snow, while over the ground she had 
thrown a shroud of white ; and as the sun rose all was radiant with splen- 
dor. Within, also, the storm had passed and a smile rested on the features 
of the dead, as if the soul in parting had caught a glimpse of the bright 
hereafter, and stamped its image on its earthly casket, pronouncing a ben- 
ediction upon us all. And thus he died, beautiful even in death, a peaceful 
close of a Christian life. His mortal career was ended, his work on earth 
was finished, and his soul had retiirned to his Maker. Though he died so 
young, he may have done more good than many who have lived beyond 
the allotted age of man. But he has left behind him a (/ood name, and 
the noble example of a man, for us to follow. The honors that the faculty 
and students paid his memory on his burial were small in comparison with 
our loss. 

Tenderly we bore him to his resting-place in the Greenwood, and while 
Ave go out for a little to encounter the storms of life, w^e shall never forget 
that just beyond the river, in that silent city of the dead, rests all that was 
mortal of our classmate. While that bright and beautiful spirit, which 
drew us to him so lovingly here, is now far brighter and more beautiful — 
the companion of saints and angels — in our Fathers house above. 

God grant that we may stand an unbroken class upon the shores of that 
unknown land, and perhaps he that was taken from us here may there be- 
come our guide, and may show to us the beauties, and explain the myste- 
ries of that heavenly country. 

Dr, Toi'rey's lectures were optional, and had been attended by a few of 
the class during the Junior year. 



JUNIOR YEAR. 35 

111 April the college sent her first delegation to tlie Boating 
Convention of American Colleges. Columbia, in common with 
several sister colleges, reaped a great advantage from the new 
regulation admitting scientific students upon university crews. 
On the 20th of May the election took place of the recipient of 
the Goodwood Cup. The interest throughout the college was 
intense, as both candidates were high in popular favor. One 
voter even came up in a carriage from a sick-room to give his 
voice on the question. After balloting, the result was an- 
nounced ; a moment of breathless silence succeeded, and then 
a mighty cheer arose, which was caught up by the eager ex- 
pectants without, and echoed through the remotest recesses 
of the building. The vote was made unanimous, and the suc- 
cessful candidate entertained his admirers bountifully at 
Fritz's. 

Early in May the Columbiad of '74 made its appearance. 
It exhibited several prominent innovations, viz. : a cover with 
the emblematic white and blue, pages giving the results of 
academic prize contests, and a general summary of college 
events. Three long obituary notices were also included in 
the reading matter, and the whole was prefaced by an able 

The board of editors of the " Columbiad" was made up of: Shaw, Chair- 
man ; Henry, Secretary ; Allerton, Cheesman, Cornell, Harrower, and 
Reed. 

Fully half of the " Columbiads " remained unsold on the hands of the 
Committee, which struggled under the debt till the close of Senior year, 
when it was finally liquidated 



36 VOLUME 111. 

editorial from the editor, Mr. Sbaw, and a graceful poem from 
Harrower. 

For three years past every man in the class had declaimed 
monthly. The natural course of Horatius Codes, Spartacus, 
and Antony they had run through like the measles, and 
though they "had it bad," they were rid of it in the course 
of time. At first under Mr. Quackenbos, and then under 
Professor Nairne, they had torn to tatters every passion of 
the human heart. The dreadful tale of Eugene Aram had 
chilled the class's marrow ; the eloquence of Webster had 
swelled their hearts with patriotism ; and the caperings of a 
comic speaker, who actually danced for the amusement of his 
audience, had plunged them into hysterics. 

In Junior year, when it was required that the speeches should 
be original, there seemed at first to be a "corner" in sub- 
jects, for the first month's productions were nearly all entitled 
" College," or " College Life." The class's repertoire gradually 
increased, however, and, by the end of the year, '74's opinion 
had been vouchsafed upon nearly ever}^ topic, scientific, liter- 
ary, and ethical. It must be remarked that a strong interest 
was excited in this department of the course by Professor 
Nairne's fostering care. 

A Junior, one day, peering into one of the subterraneous 
vaults of the college building, casually espied, looming up 
through the gloom, a gigantic plaster cast of some antedilu- 
vian. He departed noiselessly. A few nights after, icon- 
oclasts made an entrance into the premises, blows of an axe 



JUNIOR YEAR. 37 

were heard through the darkness, and the next morning 
Francois might have been seen standing in speechless con- 
sternation before a monster of white, mounted on Professor 
Short's desk. The mystery was never solved, for the learned 
doctors, who hung in frames around the walls of the room 
(where they had been left by the late Dr. Anthon), could 
never be brought to disclose what they alone had seen. 

The Goodwood Committee, with the energetic Loder at its 
head, succeeded, through influence witli the weather bureau, 
in obtaining the promise of a fine sky for May 30th, so that 
on that evening the air was mild, and the calcium light flashed 
its brilliant sheen upon such a gathering of lovely forms and 
faces as was never seen before. Lander's musicians discoursed 
sweet strains, and, surrounded by his robed class-mates, and 

by 

" scores of ladies, whose bright eyes " 

" Reigned influence, and bestowed the prize," 

the cup of '74 was presented to Robert Clifford Cornell, the 
favorite of his class. Mr. Harrower made an admirable pres- 
entation speech — proving that poets can write prose, and that 
Pegasus can often work as well in harness as under the saddle. 
The recipient's reply was of similar merit, and, after hearty 
cheers for tlie heroes of the occasion, the music struck up, 
and, in less time than it is written, a hundred couples were 
whirling awa}^ in the mazes of the waltz. Till a late hour the 
music went on, and the buzzing couples passed and repassed 



38 VOLUME III. 

beneath the flashing lanterns ; nor was it till the small hours 
of the morning that the crowds pouring into Fritz's showed 
that the last fair one had departed. Crowded into the temple 
of lager were one hundred and fifty thirsty souls, while, from 
two mighty kegS; they drew forth the foaming malt, and raised 
it on high for Cornell, who had scarcely time to open his 
mouth in acknowledgment, when the relentless Capt. Moore, 
of the University Crew, made a sudden descent upon the 
scene, and dragged off the unfortunate hero to the train for 
Harlem, where the oarsmen were quartered, and where earl}- 
hours were fashionable. After this, everything went wrong. 
The songs degenerated into noise — the speeches into hoarse- 
ness ; the beer, instead of flowing down throats, poured over 
the billiard table. So they issued forth from the scene of con- 
fusion, and marched forth into the street, arm in arm, extin- 
guishing the gas-lights on the way, exciting the ire of the 
guardians of the public peace, and, by their howlings, render- 
ins; life a burden to the inhabitants of Fifth Avenue. The 
sounds gradually died away in the distance, the awakened cit- 
izens composed themselves again to slumber, and the Grood- 
wood of '74 was a thing of the past. 

The night previous to the Juniors' concluding examination 
in Latin, the Sophomores' Burial of the Ancient took place ; 
and, amid the smoke and turmoil of that event, Drs. Gesenitis 

The Goodwood Committee, besides Loder, consisted of Henry, Ayme, 
Rapallo, Reed, Sands, and Storrs. 



JUNIOR YEAR. 39 

and Passow, dreading the tortures to which they must, on the 
morrow, behold their beloved classical tongue subjected, de- 
scended from their places in the Latin room, and managed to 
escape, not having been heard of since. 

The Trustees' Greek prize of $300 was awarded to Frank 
Drisler, and the merit of the second prize was attained b}^ Mr. 
Henry — Mr. Cheesmau receiving honorable mention. Tlie six 
scholarships of $100 each were also creditably competed for. 

A month later, full}' half of the class found itself reassembled 
at Springfield to back Columbia in her first struggle in the 
lists of boating. The crew, including Cornell and Eapallo 
from '74, had been selected early in the Spring, had trained 
steadily, under the guidance of Hank Ward, of Hudson River 
fame, and was the first on the ground at Springfield. Ra- 
pallo's pluck in rowing the race with a back nearh^ broken in 
a recent collision with the Amherst boat ; the encouraging po- 
sition achieved in the race ; the enthusiasm of the boys in 
white and blue, whose " C-o-l-u-m-b-i-a ! " rang clear above 
the din, and encouraged the toiling crew, nearly a mile awa}' ; 
the enthusiasm of a favorite j^ro/"; the trials of the New Yorkers 
in getting where to rest their w^eary limbs, and wherewithal to 
cool their parched throats, unaccustomed to prohibition laws ; 
and the righteous indignation of a veteran of '71, who, when 

Mr. Engelliardt, of the Turf^ Field and Farm^ followed the race on 
horseback, and thus was the only person who saw the entire contest. He 
placed Columbia fourth. The official decision gave to Yale, Harvard, and 
Wesleyan, respectively, the first three places, the rest being uncertain. 



40 VOLUME III. 

a Connecticut minion of the law attempted to de}3rive liim of 
a forlorn bottle, smote the offender forthwith, in the name of 
liberty and the State of New York — of which his father had 
been governor — -and the prompt reinforcement which he re- 
ceived from the white and blue, the magenta, and the blue, 
from whose wrath the rash officer barely escaped with his life; 
and the general confusion which prevailed through the night 
— all these circumstances have been related over and over 
again, and are in every Columbian's memory. The next 
morning's headaches reminded the class that the time for soda- 
water and separation was come, and that Junior 3'ear was no 
more. 



VOLUME IV. 
SENIOR YEAR. 

Ham. — Is not parchment made oi sheepskins ? ' 

Hor. — Ay, my lord, and of calves'-skins too. 

Ham. — They are sheep and calves too, which seek out assurance in 
that. 

The first day of Senior year the class gathered in chapel. 
The eje, running rapidly down the magnificent array, imme- 
diately missed McKinney's colossal form. He had left our 
ranks, and his grizzly beard was no more to bristle on the 
view of affrighted under-classmen. But a host of other 
beards had sprung up, and the class seemed rapidly assuming 
the countenance of a herd of "7iiVc/*," The class again appear- 
ing on Fifth Avenue in daily walk to and from college, society 
reassumed its usual aspect. Two members were reported 
engaged, and the inquiry meeting with no denial, the general 
judgment seemed to be that the offenders ought to be handi- 
capped for the baby-cup. The choice between the elective 

The required subjects of the course were — Economics, Astronomy, 
Physics (Lectures on Light and Sound), Geology, in first term, and 
Organic Chemistry in second. The election was between Latin and 
6 



42 VOLUME IV. 

courses of study offered to the Senior class was a matter of 
some difficulty. At length one-third bade a long farewell to the 
classical professors, each locking up his " Liddell & Scott/' 
ranging his Anthon's text-books in a line upon a top shelf 
with each his faithful steed, and turning away for consolation 
to Helmholtz and Henry St. Clair Deville. 

By a special permission Mr. Hinrichs was enabled to pur- 
sue studies during the year at the law school, in conjunction 
with his college course, and this he did with credit in both. It 
was soon known to the class that President Barnard, Professor 
Joy, and Mr. Johnson of '74, had been present at the late 
Vienna Exposition, which had thus attained a perfect success. 

October 28th, the tenth annual meeting of the National 
Acadeni}^ of Sciences was opened at the college, the daily 
sessions being witnessed with interest by many of the class. 

Higher Physics, Greek and Calculus, Higher Chemistry and Psychology. 
It was a matter of much regret that the latter subject, so necessary to a 
complete college education, should have been placed in contra-position to 
another subject, instead of being enjoined upon the whole class. 

The distribution of the class among the elective branches was as follows, 
viz. : 

j Latin 15 

( Physics 10 

( Greek 14 

( Calculus 11 

j Chemistry 8 

( Psychology 17 

At the close of the first term the class was feasted by "76, its protegi, at 
Fritz's. 



SENIOR YEAR. 43 

Towards the end of the month Mr. Cheesraan was elevated to 
the oiBce of President of the Senior Class, a position which he 
has filled with ability and dignity, — he has accepted no gifts, 
and he has vetoed no bills. 

The retiring board of editors of the college periodical, the 
" Cap and Gown," had taken steps to enlarge the scope of 
that paper, and to unite the co-operation of the School of 
Mines. The class had for three years faithfully championed 
the late organ, had smiled at " a Summer's Boating," had shed 
tears with henpecked Henry VIII., and had waxed warm in 
the tilt about " Class Politics." Mr. Kobbe succeeded to the 
editorship, and, in November, the first number of the new 
edition made its appearance. The improvement was obvious, 
and yet the change was dearl}^ bought by the sacrifice of a 
name which had long pointed out Columbia as the only college 
where academic robes were still in vogue. Diplomatic con- 
siderations, however, seem to have rendered the change of title 
necessar}^ as the new scientific editors could not, it appears, 
swallow such a scholastic dose as the name " Cap and Grown " 
implied, and yet, strange to say, the\^ were not choked by such 
a classical monthful as " Acta Columbiana." 

The twenty obtained a victory in foot-ball over Stevens, 

The editorial staff of the college paper had included, from the class, 
during the course, the following names, viz. : 

narrower, ISY'i, 1873, 1874. Hinrichs, 1872, 1873. 

Kobbe, 1874. Loder, 1874. 

Heed, 1873. Storrs, 1874. 



4,4: VOLUME IV. 

and also went again to encounter Rutgers. An alarm of fire 
happened to be sounding upon the arrival of Columbia at 
New Brunswick, and a dash was made for the lines of a 
" merscheen," which was soon rattling around the city at a 
perilous rate, and was finally returned to its shelter without 
having contributed to the extinguishing of the fire. The 
twenty suffered a defeat on this occasion, but soon met their 
antagonists again on the St. George cricket grounds, and, in 
a hard-fought contest, defeated them with a score of four to 
three. 

It was with complicated feelings that the class, on entering 
the Phj^sical lecture-room early in the term, beheld one-half 
of the seats in the possession of a force of young ladies, armed 
with note-books, and commanded by a stern chaperon. The 
thought of co-education came over their sinking hearts as they 
realized the scene before them, and they were filled with dis- 
may. What a relief it was to learn at length that the fair 
invaders were not matriculated students, but invited guests of 
the lecturer. Thenceforth perfect harmony reigned. The 
glee-club took to discoursing serenades in the lobby, stun- 
ning neck-ties flashed daily from the class's shirt-fronts, and 
Professor Rood himself grew less stern, even his dreaded 

During the four years the following of the class had acted on foot-ball 
twenties in matches with other colleges, viz.: 

Cornell 8 times. Kobbd 4 times. 

Rapallo and Reed 3 times. 

Allerton, Cheesman, Lacey, and Shaw. . . .once. 



SENIOR YEAR. 45 

formulas seeming to embrace more constants and fewer 
variables than formerly. Upon the departure of our fair 
fellow-students in Ma}^, a gloom seemed to settle over the 
lecture -room. 

In November, Mr. Rapallo was elected President of the 
Boat Club, and Mr. Kobbe was chosen to represent the class 
in the committee of the Rowing Association, and, in January, 
a delegation was sent to the boating convention. About a 
dozen men were soon at work at gymnasium, hundred-pound 
dumbells became " trifles light as air," and a muscular mem- 
ber of the class donned the cestus and smote an opponent 
" hip and thigh " at a public exhibition of amateur skill. 

Before the end of the first term, a new " Acta" appeared 
on the scene, a libelous sheet, entitled the " Facta Colum- 
binaria," whicli affected to parody the regular publication, and, 
like the letters of Junius, surrounded itself with a shroud of 
mystery, its authorship being successfully concealed. By its 
satire and wit the little sheet produced a great sensation in 
the college world. 

The Semi-Annual of '74 was well attended, and its ceremo- 
nies well rendered. Mr. Aid rich was at the head of the man- 
agement, and Mr. Rapallo grand marshal. So well had the 
disposal of boxes been planned, that the class — in revenge, 
perhaps, for its sufferings in Sophomore year — acquired a 

Besides the chairman, the Committee of Semi- Annual included Allerton, 
Cheesman, Foster, Henry, and Johnson. 



46 VOLUME IV. 

considerable sum from their sale, besides appropriating the 
choicest for private use — one official obtaining, through his 
several functions, five different boxes. Much amusement was 
caused, during the evening, by the discovery of a large num- 
ber of mock programmes scattered among the genuine, and 
the authors of this practical joke were sought in vain. 

In March, a mass-meeting of the College considered favor- 
abl}^ a scheme, originated at Williams and Princeton, for hold- 
ing annual intercollegiate contests in literary and oratorical 
exercises, and sent a delegation — -Cheesman, Harrower, and 
Kobbe — to a convention to arrange for that object. The con- 
vention met at Hartford, and appointed January, 1875, for 
the proposed contest. 

The interest taken in astronomy by the class was much due 
to the aid afforded by the modest observatorj^ which had been 
established during the previous year and supplied with ser- 
viceable apparatus. Every clear evening found a little party 

The speakers from the class at Semi- Annual, for the past four years, had 
been — 

Cheesman, 1874. Drisler, 1874. 

Harrower, 1874. Hhirichs, 1871, 1872. 

Lacey, 1872. Kobbe, 1871, 1873, 1874. 

McKinney, 1873. 
President Barnard addi-essed a students' meeting upon the subject af the 
Literary Association, and warmly advocated it. 

The telescope was made by Alvan Clark, and had an aperture of five 
inches, with a focal length of six feet. The spectroscope annexed was 
made by Young, and was of extraordinary power. The observatory also 
contained a transit instrument. 



SENIOR YEAR. . 47 

assembled under the dome, with Mr. Waldo ; and recourse was 
had thither occasionally, during Professor Peck's lectures, for 
observation of the solar spots. In spite of the great liberties 
often taken in the class-room, and notwithstanding that a 
learned member once insisted that longitude was distance 
east or west from the equator (the gentleman lived in Jersey, 
where they say curious phenomena do occur), the said pro- 
fessor preserved an admirable patience. But once or twice did 
his voice drop to that peculiar whisper, whose boding the class 
knew and dreaded. A certain member left college before the 
term's ending to act as a photographic assistant to the expedi- 
tion sent to observe the transit of Venus. The event excited 
much comment, and the class lost a man of great ^rown^e, and 
one expected to occupy a conspicuous position at graduation. 

In the course of Geology, with Professor Joy, the class vis- 
ited the collections in the School of Mines, and also examined 
the strike and dip of the strata on Fiftieth Street. Our scien- 
tific labors there were evidently unaj)preciated ; for a little 
girl, as we passed, interrupted her labor of poking over an 
ash-barrel, to exclaim, in a hushed voice, to her ragged com- 
panion : " Sure, Katie, it's dimans they're lookin' for! " 

In organic chemistry, the professor opened upon us with 
grape, and concluded his course by the exhibition to the hor- 
rified class of several jars containing adipocere obtained from 

Mr. Buckley presented to Prof. Peck an excellent photograph of the 
observatory, the photograph being the production of his own amateur skill. 



4§ VoLtJME iV. 

corpses mthe old ^of/ersJield{l) The members of the cliemical 
section experimented (aided by their classmate, Mr. Meyer) in 
photograpiiy, and executed several groups and portraits. 
They were also shown the Betoncoignet stone employed in 
the neighboring cathedral ; and, while inspecting it, ascended 
to the summit of the building, where the president, in the 
name of the class, laid a brick — that is, another brick — and 
rammed it to its place with a trowel. 

In April, the Alumni association revived the almost for- 
gotten custom of holding an annual supper. The university 
crew of 73 received special invitations, and were publicly 
decorated as Columbia's first aquatic champions. The pro- 
ceedings evinced a thorough re-awakening of the Alumni to 
the interests of Alma Mater. 

During alterations of the college buildings, commenced in 
April, a pile of old lumber was unearthed, and, after lying 
about the court-yard for a couple of weeks, was carted off. 
No sooner had it disappeared, than some of the class discov- 
ered that it was the wood of the famous Hamilton sycamore. 

When Dr. Myles Cooper, the second President of Kings College, in 1'775, 
was threatened with lynching, on account of his Tory principles, a mob, 
bent on that purpose, passed the college, on the way to their victim's home 
on the banks of the Hudson. Hamilton, then a student at the college, 
divining their purpose, succeeded, by an eloquent harangue, in diverting 
their attention until the obnoxious doctor was enabled to beat a retreat, in 
his scanty bed-attire, to a ship in the Hudson. The tree which overshadowed 
the young orator in this his maiden speech, was the identical one whose 
remains so interested the class. 



SENIOR YEAR. 49 

rescued from the old premises on Park Place. The fact being- 
imparted to the class, in Professor Joy's room, the lecture was 
kindly suspended while a windy debate was held on the sub- 
ject, and a committee was dispatched to bring back the sj^ca- 
more. But the lecture was finally resumed, the committee 
was never discharged, and the Hamilton sycamore never re- 
turned to its lamenting friends. 

Early in May, the graduation essays were handed in, and 
the class felt that the end was approaching. 

Philolexia, the only literary society then in college, had 
received but feeble support for the past two years, and was 
struggling on almost without hope. In May, however, she 

The following members of the class had taken prizes in the Philolexian 
Society, viz. : 

Cheesman Second Prize, Oration, 1873. 

Hinrichs Second Prize, Oration, 18V2. 

( First Prize, Oration 1872, 1873, 1874. 
Kobbe. ■< Second Prize, Debate, 1873. 

( First Prize, Debate, 1874. 

Mackenzie Third Prize, Oration, 18T2. 

Reed First Prize, Essay, 1874. 

Those who had delivered speeches at the anniversaries of the Society at 
the Academy of Music were : 

Tenney 1872. 

Cheesman ^ 

go^be 1 1873. 

Reed [ - 

Shaw J 

7 



50 .VOLUME IV. 

made a violent effort and held her annual prize exercises, all 
the first premiums being carried off by members of the class. 

On the 4th of May the class arranged for its graduating 
exercises, and also met to witness a duel which had been 
promised between two prominent members. What was the 
disappointment when, instead of ten paces and an ounce of 
lead, a letter from one of the principals was read, publicly 
explaining the offense, and the tragedy collapsed. Dr. Bar- 
nard, by earnest exhortation, succeeded in procuring the 
class's attendance in chapel during the last week. It was 
with much pleasure that the place was found to be quite un- 
changed, and Dr. Duffie was found still in his old chair. 

Wednesday before crara-week the class elected, from three 
nominations by the facult3% George Forrest Butterworth to 
the prize for the "most faithful and deserving student of the 
graduating class," and never was a vote more heartily be- 
stowed ; for if unswerving fidelity to work, unerring regularity 
in college duties, and high mental endowments ever entitled a 
man to reward, they did so in this case. Not only did the 
record show him head of his class for the four years past, but 
also the roll showed that he had never been absent, or even 
late, at a single college exercise since the day of matricula- 
tion, and, with this unparalleled score, he had not been found 
wanting when demanded in the lighter occupations of student 
life, having appeared as a competitor in athletic sports, and 
as a wit at social reunions. 

The class entered Prof. Joy's room for the last recitation 



SENIOR YEAR. 51 

looking rather blue. The kind professor, observing this, de- 
clared that from his experience of students he should hardly 
expect a prepared recitation on such an occasion (brightened 
looks), and that he should, with the class's permission, pass the 
hour in presenting briefly a sketch of his experience of Grerman 
student life (vociferous applause and cries of " Hear ! " 
"Hear!"). The professor then launched forth. Without 
attempting to give even an epitome of his words, suffice it to 
say that they were most interesting and entertaining. With 
some words of excellent advice he closed, and with wild enthu- 
siasm the class cheered Professor Joy, and in another moment 
was gone, the memorial plate of glass in the window being 
all that remained of '74. The class immediately assembled 
on the college steps under the great '74 on the wall, and 
was photographed by Alman, Mr. Loder superintending the 
work. 

Failing to obtain a release from duties on Friday, the last 
day, and fears of "getting over their quarter" deterring 
many from joining in an organized slope, two hours were 
dragged through, and liberty was obtained for the third. 
Thereupon, '' ut mos est," the professors were cheered in turn, 
Mr. Weeks was shouldered and rushed through the hall, and 
the class finally adjourned to chapel and executed a war-dance 
to the music of the organ. The same afternoon the Athletic 
Association inaugurated its sports with a scrub-race and tub- 

The photographs for class albums were taken by Kurtz. 



52 VOLUME IV. 

race at Harlem, and on Saturday of cram-week the regular 
games were held at Hoboken. 

During the next two weeks the pass and honor examinations 
were held, and, on Monday, June 8th, the dark cloud cleared 
away, and the class assembled on the scene of its late tor- 
ments and found it transformed into a paradise of beauty and 
pleasure. The class assembled on its Class-day to hear its 
deeds recounted, eulogized, and sung, and to pay its last trib- 
ute to Alma Mater. 

The musicians being behind time in arriving, the exercises 
were opened by the " Reading of the History," followed by 
Mr. Cornell's oration, and Mr. Kobbe's poem, which latter ex- 
cited tumultuous applause. Songs composed for the occasion 
were sung between the exercises ; the class seated itself in a 
ring on the grass, and, amidst much merriment, the pipe went 
round the magic circle. Then the memorial plate was nailed 
to one of the old elms by Mr. Thompson, the Grand Marshal, 
and a parting song was sung, after which the class dispersed to 
do the honors of the occasion to their kind friends. A few days 
later the results of the honor examinations were announced, 
and, on June 24th, the 120th Commencement of the College 



committee in 


charge 


of Class-day consisted of: 


Johnson, ( 


Chairman. 


Cheesman, 




Cornell, 


Henry, 




Humphreys, 


Meyer, 




Sands, 


Storrs, 




Thompson. 



SENIOR YEAR. 53 

was held at the Academy of Music, and '74 performed its 
graduating exercises before a fuller house than usual at com- 
mencements late in June. Mr. Butterworth delivered the Greek 
salutatory ; and the Latin oration assigned to Mr. Hinrichs 
being omitted, English orations were declaimed. The honor 
classes showed a larger percentage of names than had been 

In June, 1873, the Society of Phi Beta Kappa elected, as the three 
students who had stood best in class for the past three years : 

Butterworth, Hinrichs, and Sands. 

In February, 18*74, as the three who, besides the foregoing three, had 
shown the best record so far during the course, were elected, 

Loder, Reed, and Thompson. 

And, in June, 1874, as the two who, besides the foregoing six, had the 
best record for the whole course, were elected, 

Kennedy and Drisler. 

The following had taken prize scholarships during the course, viz. : 

T» x^ .1- J Soph. Schol. in Classics (reg.)-y 77 \^/^) // ^/ 

Butterworth i ^ , , \ ^ > ^Jc^t^ic^^' o'^/t^?/.^/^:^^/^^ 

I Soph. " Mathematics (reg.). ^ 

Pj . , ^ j Soph. " Classics (extra). 

( Junior " Greek. 

Henry Junior " Latin. 

Kennedy Junior " Logic and English Literature. 

Meyer Junior " Chemistry. 

-p , j Soph. " Mathematics (extra). 

\ Junior " Physics. 

The fellowships offered for competition in the Senior Year received no 
candidates. 



54: VOLUME IV. 

known for many j^ears before. The prize for the best Eng- 
lish essay — the subject assigned being " Culture demanded by 
Modern Life" — was awarded to Mr. Harrower, with many 
encomiums upon the merit of his work. The second prize was 
given to Mr. Hinrichs,' and Mi\ Storrs received honorable 
mention. Various announcements were made. The president 
advanced in his red gown and presented twenty-six' sheep- 
skins — with not a single " sp. gr./' — and '74 was numbered 



The English Orations at Commencement, were as follows : 

Popular Indifference to the Exercise of Suffrage . . Sands. 

The Anglo-Saxon Drisler. 

Practical Thinkers Loder. 

The Necessity of Speculative Minds Kennedy. 

The Influence of Grecian Art upon Roman Civi- 
lization Reed. 

Rapid Transit Aldiich. 

Intellectual Junkshops Humphreys. 

Competitive Examinations Shaw. 

Choice of a Profession , Meyer (excused). 

Wonders of the World Storrs. 

Classics vs. Science Thompson (excused.) 

Valedictory Kobbe. 

The first honor class, numbering all those having obtained over 97 per 
cent, at the honor examination, consisted of Butter worth, Hinrichs, Sands, 
and Drisler. 

The second honor class, above 90 per cent., Loder, Kennedy and Reed. 

The third hono r class, above 79 per cent. Aldrich, Humphreys, Shaw, 
Meyer, Thorn pson XStorrs and Kobb6. 



SENIOR YEAR. 56 

with the alumni. Twenty-five A.B.'s — one member of the 
class was absent — then clescended from the stage and silently 
seated themselves nigh, while Mr. Kobbe, the classmate 
chosen for the purpose, advanced to the front of the stage, 
and, in words of eloquence and pathos, pronounced to friends, 
trustees, president, officers, and finall}^ to classmates, a solemn 
farewell. 

Most of the class met later in the day at an entertainment 
given by their classmate Drisler ; and in the evening a small 
party of the class gathered at Delmonico's to celebrate the 
traditional graduating supper. After waiting in vain for 
absentees, the little council felt itself tacitly authorized to 
take the usual steps for the perpetuation of the class's unity. 
With this view Mr. Cheesman was declared president of the 
class for life. A yearly reunion was appointed to occur on 
each Washington's birth-day. Measures were taken for the 
publication of the class's history, and a committee was ap- 
pointed to present a silver cup to the first male child born in 
matrimony to any member of the class. 

The class supper committee was — Allerton, Cheesman, and Reed. 
The baby cup committee was — Cornell and Rapallo. 

The roll of the graduating class was as follows, viz. : 

Spencer Aldrich, William Warner Johnson, 

Walter Scott Allerton, George Kennedy, 

Charles Ramsey Buckley, George Christian Kobbe, 

George Forrest Butterworth, Albert Jared Loder, 



56 VOLUME IV. 

Early in the year the university crew had been organized, 
and had been trained in the principles of the Cambridge stroke 
by Mr. Rives, an ex-meraber of Columbia and a graduate of 
Cambridge, England ; '74 contributed Cornell and Rapallo, 
the starboard stroke and the port-waist, as in the previous 
year. 

The crew, the tirst on the ground, established itself at 
Farmer Engrem's on Saratoga Lake, early in June. On 
July 18th, after two tedious postponements from day to day, 
the race was finally started at ten a. m. The excited thou- 
sands at the finish saw the white and blue shoot up the signal 
staff, and after a few breathless moments the flashing oars 
drew in sight, with the white and blue still at the staflf-head. 
A minute later and Columbia glided before the eyes of the 
multitude, her crew's bronzed backs swinging forward and 
backward like clock-work, and her oar-blades cleanly cut- 
ting the clear lake, while her keen bow flashed along and 
crossed the finish-line three lengths ahead of the second 
crew. What need to describe the scene of wild exultation 



Timothy Matlack Cheesman, Jr., Alfred Meyer, 

Robert Clifford Cornell, Edward Sumner Rapallo^ 

Frank Drisler, ~ Sylvanus Albert Reed, 

John Hone Foster, Benjamin Aymar Sinds, 

Pierre Pascal Harrower, Henry Townsend Scudder, 

Selden T. Scranton Henry, Frank Dunlap Shaw, 

Frederic William Hinrichs, Frank Storrs, 

Jay Humphreys, Thomas De Witt Thompson, 



SENIOR YEAR. 57 

which followed. Such moments of triumph seldom fall to 
one's lot. By official judgment Columbia had won the inter- 
collegiate regatta of '74, defeating the picked crews of eleven 
of the representative colleges of the country, and making the 
best time on record for six-oared crews, — 16 min. 42 1 sec. 
From that moment till the crew's arrival in New York, which 
roused herself in metropolitan pride to receive her heroes, 
their course was a continual ovation of triumph. An excited 
throng of Columbian graduates and undergraduates took the 
horses from a carriage, and, placing the victors in it, escorted 
them up Fifth Avenue to receive the public congratulations 
of their president and fellow-students. 

The event promised to establish boating on a sound basis, 
and also to do much towards reawakening an interest in the 
college, and the Historian may with justice claim this achieve- 
ment, happening in T4's graduating jeav and under her im- 
mediate auspices, as a proper climax to her eventful career. 

The order of boats crossing the finish was as follows : 
Columbia, Wesleyan, Harvard, Williams, Dartmouth, Cornell, Trinity, 
Princeton. Yale fouled and fell out of the race. 
8 



OOI^OLUSIOI^. 

The events of the class's history for four years having been 
recorded deed for deed, a few statistics follow, conformably to 
a musty old custom, to whose authority, curbing our passion 
for originality, we humbly bow. 

On June 24th, 1870, between forty and fifty youths applied 
for admission into the class of 1874 of Columbia College. A 
few passed without condition, and thirty-four matriculated on 
the 10th of October following, one more being added during 
the year. The average age at matriculation was between 
seventeen and eighteen year^, being the usual average age of 
classes entering Columbia College. The oldest was nine- 
teen years of age, the youngest fifteen. Twenty-three were 
residents of New York, six of Brooklyn, one of Jersey City, 
one of Astoria; one of Morrisania, one of Westchester, and 
one of Staten Island. Twelve were sons or brothers of 
alumni of Columbia. 

At the beginning of Sophomore year, eight of the old class 
were missing and five additions had been made, bringing the 
number to thirty-two. At the beginning of Junior year the 
class numbered twenty-eight, four more having left and none 
having been added. At the beginning of Senior year the class 



CONCLUSION. 59 

had lost three more and it numbered twenty-five ; one left 
before the end of the year, giving the roll at graduation, 
twent3--four. The total number of men who have at any time 
been members of the class, is forty-one. 

At graduation also the oldest man was twenty-three, the 
youngest nineteen ; the eldest would have been McKinney, if 
he had remained, at twenty-nine years. Six were blondes, 
eighteen were brunettes. The average height of the class was 
five feet nine -h inches.* The tallest man, Butterworth, was 
six feet one inch, and the shortest man, Meyer, was five feet 
four f inches. The average gain in height, since matricula- 
tion, was one k inches. The heaviest weight in the class was 
Cornell, who turned the scale at 190 lbs. ; the lightest weight 
is 120 lbs. — five men being bracketed for this distinction. 
The average weight was 1411 lbs., the average gain in weight 
for the four years being about nine pounds. To be sure we 
lost Waite at the end of Sophomore j^ear, but we gained a 
Loder, which was ample compensation. 

At the opening of the class's course, but five of the (pres- 
ent) class indulged habituall}^ in the noxious weed. On 
graduating, twelve of the twenty-four were regular smokers, 
and at least one-half of that number had been long addicted 
to the habit of preparing their cigarettes in the class-room to 



* So that if strung together into a cord, each holding to the other's feet, the cord, 
to vibrate to the fundamental note uti, would, according to Rood's formula; 

n = T . \\/ ^' ' , require a stretching weight of one ton 350 lbs. 



60 CONCLUSION. 

smoke at the end of the hour, in defiance of the solemn pro- 
hibitory statute. Seven have been devotees of the cue, and 
as many more have been occasional gambolers on the green. 
Billiard tournaments with other classes have been frequent, 
and in these 74 has played the man. 

At the beginning of Freshman year, with a single excep- 
tion, the class's physiognomy was not defaced by a single hair. 
At the end of Sophomore year, six upper lips had answered 
the prayers of their owners, and five pairs of cheeks had 
brought forth a kindly harvest. At the end of Junior year, 
thirteen of the class were decidedly hirsute, and at gradua- 
tion, as a token of the result of patient nursing, one-half of 
the class stood forth "bearded like the pard,'' one-half of the 
remainder being deterred from assuming the same character 
merely by vanity or prejudice. As to the remaining quarter 
of the class — let us drop a tear and pass on. 

A favorite cavil of Columbia's enemies has been that her 
system is sectarian. Let the following figures speak for them- 
selves. Out of twenty-four, one of the class at graduating was 
of the Jewish persuasion, one a member of the Christian Church 
communion, one a Congregationalist, two were Methodists, 
three Unitarians, three Presbyterians, four Dutch Reformed, 
and nine were Episcopalians, six of that number being com- 
municants. About two-thirds, therefore, of the class Were 
of other denominations than that which the college charter 
specially recognizes. In respect of politics protection has 
had no chance whatever with the class, in the face of Pro- 



CONCLUSION. Qi 

fessor Nairne's convincing economical arguments for free 
trade. 

Careful inquiry as to the intended pursuit of each member 
revealed an astonishing fact. No less than two-thirds of the 
class intended to be lawyers, and with that view expected to 
enter the Columbia Law School in October ; two proposed to 
devote themselves to medicine, two to science, three to com- 
mercial pursuits, one to study in G-ermany, one intended 
going west. Of the class twenty were members of secret 
societies, and four were "neutrals." 

While college classes bear to each other naturally a strong 
generic resemblance, there exists notwithstanding for each a 
strong individuality. '74, while indulging in some irregularities, 
as reference to foregoing pages will show, has always retained 
the good-will of president and facultj^ and that good-will has 
ever been cordially reciprocated. When Professor Drisler re- 
covered from a dangerous illness during Sophomore year, a 
leave of absence was urged upon him by the board, but 
steadily declined. He did not hesitate to tell the class that 
no other motive but his affection for the members of '74 had 
induced him to continue his duties till the remainder of the 
year. Instances of a similar regard expressed for the class by 
professors might be multiplied, but modesty forbids. 

The unusually high standard of scholarhip steadily main- 
tained has been owing rather to native talent, than to mere 
digging. In the literary societies of the college one-half of 
the prizes for four years have been taken by members of the 



62 CONCLUSION. 

class, and in athletic sports the record shows a proper share 
of '74's names. The class has endeavored, from the beginning, 
to fulfill its mission in college and to cherish every tradition of 
its Alma Mater. It left with boating at last firmly estab- 
lished ; success in foot-ball at last reached ; athletic games im- 
proved and popularized ; an English essay prize established 
at its own petition, and the college paper elevated by the 
exertions of certain of the class's members to a rank equaled 
by the Yale, Harvard, and Williams papers alone. A strik- 
ing trait of the class's disposition has been its fondness for a 
joke. For four years an opening for a pun has never in a 
single instance been lost. Never before was a class afflicted 
with such a predisposition to laugh. Let an occurrence pos- 
sess but a shadow of humor and a roar was sure to ensue ; let 
an unlucky professor or classmate make the smallest slip, 
and no mercy could be expected, and many a lecture has been 
delivered under a cross-fire of squibs and puns, often passing 
the limits of the audible. 

The work accomplished by the class can be estimated, but 
the sum of pleasure laid u[) in the experience of four years is 
incapable of the Historian's measurement. He cannot recount 
the friendships formed, nor can he speak of those secret ties 
which have bound kindred hearts with the real strength of 
brotherhood — those mysterious orders, to advance whose 'in- 
terests the most precious eff'orts of nearly every member of 
the class, each in his own circle, have for four years been 
not unworthily devoted, and whose influence upon the life and 



CONCLUSION. 63 

character of their members has been incalculable. But he 
can speak of the real affection for their class, of the true esprit 
de corps, of the honest, gentlemanly conduct and of the honor 
which have prevailed throughout, which diiferences have not 
effaced, and which strife has but served to bring into strong 
relief. He can say finally, like Hamlet — 

" This was a class, take it for all in all, — 
I shall not look upon the like again. " 



CLASS SONGS SU]^G AT GLASS-DAY. 



CLASS SONG— SEVENTY-FOUR. 



BY F. D. SHAW. 



Aw — Seven Up. 



Four years ago we came up to Columbia, 

And, as jolly, gay and emerald Freshies " passed." 
We were crammed with many Greek and Latin authors. 

And a fund of useless learning had amassed. 
But at length th' examination's dread ordeal 

By labor infinite was safely o'er ; 
And, with papers " alphabeted " by professors, 
We were formed into the class of Seventy-four. 

CHORUS. 

Seventy-four ! Seventy-four ! 
- Oh, three rousing cheers for good old Seventy-four. 



CLASS SONGS SUNG AT CLASS-DAY. 65 



As Freshies first we had to thrash the Sophomores, 

And beavers tall we sported all the year ; 
We swallowed all th' antiquities of Rome, sir, 

As well as history and lager-bier. 
Then as Sophomores, we felt our proud position, 

And, I fear, in evil pranks were often seen, 
We learned to " slope," and " cut," and " bone," and " flunk," sir ; 

As well as gamboling on the college green. 

Chonis. 



III. 



As Juniors next we scorned all under-classmen. 
Their, raging brawls we voted quite a bore ; 

We studied Plato, Juvenal and physics, 

Logic, chemistry, mechanics and much more. 

But, Seniors now, farewell to Alma Mater! 

Then all beakers fill — the cheering beer forth pour. 

With all his heart let each one pledge the motto, — 

" Columbia and the Class of '74 ! " 

Chortis. 

9 



66 CLASS SONGS SUNG AT CLASS-DAY. 



SMOKING SONG. 



ADAPTED BY P. D. SHAW. 



Air — Son of a Gambolier. 



FouE years, with all their varied scenes, 

Have sped their raj^id flight. 
And fast our College joys and toils 

Are vanishing from sight ; 
Soon round them will dim distance throw 

Its sanctifying veil, 
But never will they be forgot 

Till memory shall fail. 

CHOEUS, 

Then, classmates, pass the pipe along, 

Loud let the chorus swell : 
And may to each this happy day 

A bright career foretell. 
Our College life is of the past, 

Its pleasures are no more : 
No more shall Alma Mater shield 

Her sons of Seventy-four. 



CLASS SONGS SUNG AT CLASS-DAY. 67 

II. 

We came to old Columbia 

In mingled hope and fear ; 
We grasped the key, the door unlocked 

That led to Freshman year : 
Her stately poi'tals opened wide, 

We marched triumphant through. 
When lo ! her choicest treasure lay 

Uncovered to the view. 

Chorus. 

III. 

The Sophomore's grand and lofty pride 

We, each of us, have shared ; 
To dig in Learning's deepest mines, 

As seniors we have dared — 
Alas, the good old Senior year 

Is all too quickly o'er ; 

No more shall its calm joys delight 

The hearts of Seventy-four. 

Chorus. 

IV. 

But let not grief, with sable hues, 

Dim Class-day's pleasures bright ; 
Let mirth with its gay sparkling beam 

Suffuse them with its light ! 
And, when in manhood's checkered course 

These memories grow dear. 
May each one's name thrice hallowed be 

That smoked the Class-pipe here ! 

Chorus. 



68 CLASS SONGS SUNG AT CLASS-DAY. 



PARTING SONG. 



BY P. P. HARKOWKR. 



Air — My Last Cigar. 



More swift than summer clouds fly by, 

With sailing speed afar ; 
And range along the lowest sky 

In many a broken bar ; 
More swift than they, upon their race, 

Have flown our College years ; 
Strangers we met upon the place 

Where now we part in tears. 

II. 

The trees are robed in youngest green, 

The winds are fresh and sweet, 
And over many a happy scene 

The long-flung shadows meet. 
We tirst came when the leaves were old, 

In the careless autumn days : 
No more we'll toss October's gold 

On fair Columbia's ways. 



CLASS SONGS SUNG AT CLASS DAY. 69 



III. 



We pass into another life, 

To the contest all must know ; 
Around us draws the unknown strife, 

With sounds above, below. 
Let's swear we here, with purpose true, 

By the days that are of yore, 
We'll ever faithful be, and true 

To the hearts of Seventy-four. 



IV. 



Then bravely think of what is past, 

Here, in this sacred hour, 
Of days that were too fair to last, 

And times of mystic power, 
But we hail tlie future with a smile, 

And, be it small or great. 
We'll stand as men, whate'er beguile, 

" With hearts for any fate." 



What, though, with many a magic wove, 
The years shall work their spell. 

Yet will we cling with deathless love 
To the days we know so well. 

This be our parting " Gloria," 
For ever, evermore — 

Three cheers for fair Columbia, 
And the hearts of Seventy-four. 



CLASS POEM. 



BT GEORGE C. KOBEE. 



Oh ! Muse, I bid thee look with pitying eye, 

Uj)on thy humble bavd, who fain would know 
What, hidden springs in some men's bosoms lie, 

Whence most poetic waters ebb and flow ? 
I do not want for heroes brave and strong, 

Of heroines I do not stand in need, 
The poem, too, should not be very long, 

Its length, forsooth, by custom is decreed ; 
But oh ! I've called so often on thy name, 

And bade thee fill my soul with lofty rhyme, 
And my appeal so oft has been in vain, 

That I despair of rousing thee this time ; 
Yet no ! upon thy name I call once more, 

And thou must hear — my theme is '74. 

Of all the classes that have entered college, 
Since our honored Barnard first held sway, 

No class has e'er surpassed in general knowledge, 
Our dear old '74, professors say. 

And though there may have been, in former ages. 
When Alma Mater still was in her youth, 

Some classes equal to our class of sages, 

We know that those professors speak the truth. 



CLASS POEM. 71 

And though our learning be, indeed, astounding 

(In this respect we've merited all praise), 
We, too, have had our shares of joys surrounding 

The graver duties of our college days ; 
But never once have we neglected duty, 

For pleasure's charming and alluring smile, 
But oft refused to yield consent to beauty, 

That bade us linger from our tasks awhile. 
Not one of us has ever missed an hour, 

Of all the hours in these four long years. 
Nor was this due to mighty Barnard's power, 

Nor yet to any weak and childish fears ; 
But to our love for what is right 'twas owing, 

And to that knowledge in each student's breast. 
That all the good that comes to man is flowing, 

From this world's sons who strive to do their best. 
Nay more ; not once have we been late at college, 

Nor missed a chapel, deeming it, in sooth, ' 
A mighty acquisition to our knowledge, 

To learn a little that we knew was tnith ; 
For you must know, kind friends, in college training, 

We dai'e not eat of ordinary food. 
But take as truth things which don't bear explaining, 

Like certain curious facts we've learned from Rood ; 
Indeed, if some of you will take the trouble. 

To study up the wondrous laws of light. 
You'll learn ere long that many men see double. 

And that too after twelve o'clock at night ; 
And furthermore, it soon Avill be apparent, 

That color is no quality at all, 
And that most men and women are transparent, 

And that all things look large — which are not small. 



72 CLASS POEM. 

But I am wanderiBg from my first intention, 

Of eulogizing gallant '74. 
I pray you, then, lend me your strict attention, 

I'll tell you wonders never dreamed before ; 
The breasts of most men in this seat of learning 

Are filled with what is grandly styled ambition, 
And, therefore, owing to this inward yearning, 

There has arisen secret coalition ; 
They pledge themselves to vote for one another, 

In choosing men to represent their class. 
The secret-order men prefer a brother, 

Though that same brother may be oft, alas ! 
Unfit, indeed, to rule at earnest meetings. 

With lungs too weak to make his speeches heard, 
Not suited to extend guests kindly greetings ; 

Not bright enough to improvise a word ; 
Not gifted with the true poetic spirit. 

As must be most apparent at this time 
(Of course I'm very sure this poem has merit, 
I I only put that in to make the rhyme), 
On which account this state of things arises, 

That often, in our grandest exhibitions. 
The lack of talent very much surprises 

Those people who know nought of coalitions ; 
But WE have been averse to party spirit, 

And we have sought, in making our selections, 
To honor those alone who honors merit. 

And to whose talents none could raise objections- 
And now I feel that I have said sufiicient. 

To prove that our renown will ever last. 
And that our deeds have been quite as efficient. 

As those of any students in the past. 



CLASS POEM. 73 

A stands for Aldrich, the first — 07i the list. 

Who has oft flunked in lessons, but at billiards ne'er missed ; 

And A is for Allert07i, so full of fun, 

That he cannot recite without making a pun ; 

And A stands for Ayme, our great ladies' man, 

Who, to gaze upon Venus, has left for Japan. 

But B is for JBuchley^ so handsome a boy, 

That he takes his own picture, and does not take Joy ; 

And B stands for Butterworth, our great head : 

And C is for Cheesman, who's very well-read ; 

C stands for Cornell, an impetuous creature, 

And, as Harrower says, a complete child of nature. 

And D is for DHsler, bearded and wise. 

On the strength of his name, he took off" the Greek prize. 

And F is for Foster, who will go on the stage, 

And to sing as first tenor will shortly engage. 

But H stands for Harrower, poet sublime. 

Not contented with one, he's engaged to all nine ; 

And H is for Henry, who slipped up with Rood, 

And told laughing Peck this was North Longitude. 

But H stands for Hinrichs, that deep-thinking youth, 

Who rejects all the dogmas and seeks his own truth ; 

And H is for Humphreys ; whene'er you are ill, 

If you'll call upon Humphreys, he'll give you a pill. 

And J is for Johnson, '74's greatest swell. 

He's a jolly good fellow, and is always dressed well. 

But K stands for Kennedy, metaphysician. 

He's become a deep thinker under dear Nairne's tuition ; 

K stands for myself, by this time you all know it. 

That whatever I am, I at least am no poet. 

But L is for Loder, we think it a pity 

That they did not put Loder on the class-day committee. 

10 



74 CLASS POEM. 

M stands for McKinney^ whose absence we mourn, 

We must use Rood's equations to find out where he's gone ; 

And M is for Meyer, our cheekiest man, 

Who came very near falling out with good Nairn e. 

R stands for Rapallo, the size of whose paw, 

Is inversely proportioned to the length of the oar ; 

And R stands for Reed, so proficient in science, 

That he sets all the theories of Rood at defiance. 

But S is for Sands, who sits third in the class, 

He's ti'ied hard, but in vain, number two to surpass ; 

And S is for Scudder; we regretted to find, 

On consulting our picture, that Scudder was blind ; 

And S is for Shciw, who can always depend 

Upon having VanNostrand a firm attached friend ; 

And S is for /Storrs, who is so tender-hearted, 

That he shed bitter tears when from Rood he was parted. 

And T stands for Thompson, who was beaten with Peck, 

Though most of us thought that he'd win by a neck. 

Go forth, proud class, my fond eyes glisten, 

And tears my parting words will grace, 
But as you go, I bid you listen 

To these last words on Time and Space. 



CLASS POEM. 75 



(From the German.) 

TIME. 

Threefold is the pace of Tide : 

Loit'ring comes the Future with slow paces : 

Swift away the Present chases ; 
Fix'd forever shall the Past abide. 

No imi^atience shall be winging Time, 

When he somewhere delays ; 
Neither doubts, nor fright fast clinging. 

Stop his flight when on his ways ; 

No regret, no spell will ever 

Move the fix'd, he shall not sever. 

If you wish that wisdom's graces 
May attend through life your paces. 
Take the Future's great advice. 
Yet in deeds his sloth despise; 
Do not make the Present friend^ 
Do not make the Past your fiend. 



76 CLASS POEM. 



SPACE. 

Three dimensions are in space: 
Forth with unremitting pace ' 
Runs its length ; so widely spreading 
Forth its breadth's extent is leading; 
Endless plunging sinks its depth. 

Profit by this image given : 
Ever be thou onward driven, 
Never slack, nor stop to rest, 
If thou wilt perfection taste ! 
Wide and large thyself unfolding, 
Thou shalt be the world beholding ; 
To the depths thou must be diving. 
If thou'lt see the spirit living. 

Perseverance gains the end ; 
Clearness shows the mind's expansion ; 
In the depths is truth's great mansion. 



While this volume was in press, notice appeared of the death, on Oct. 
20th, of Blaize Harsell Journeay, who was a member of the class of '74 
during Freshman year. 



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